London, United Kingdom, 16 October 2025

• CONNECTS-UK is concerned about the proposed increase of the standard qualifying period for permanent residence (ILR) from five to ten years, and the lack of specific details on which routes to settlement will be impacted.
• This change could significantly increase the financial burden on international researchers and skilled professionals, and risks undermining the UK’s capacity to attract and retain global scientific talent.
• As representatives of the EU research diaspora in the UK, we are open to dialogue and eager to participate in the consultation process, reaffirming our ongoing contributions to UK higher education, science, and innovation.

At CONNECTS-UK, we are aware of the recent announcements by the Home Office regarding the proposed new contribution-based settlement model that is aimed to be put in place by the current government. This follows the goals outlined in the 2025 Immigration White Paper, which included reducing net migration, boosting integration and alleviating pressure on public services. Relatedly, the 2025 Immigration White Paper proposed several changes to be introduced in key aspects of UK immigration policy, one of them being the foreseeable increase of the “standard qualifying period for permanent residence (also known as indefinite leave to remain, ILR, or settlement) from five to ten years”¹. Recently, the Home Office further clarified that this potential proposal for the new settlement model will assess routes to settlement based on conditions such as: “being in work, making a certain level of National Insurance contributions, not taking any benefits payments, learning English to a high standard, having a spotless criminal record, and giving back by, for example, working in your local community”².

The proposed changes may raise uncertainty among different communities that may be affected, especially in regard to the lack of specific details about which routes to settlement will be impacted by this change in immigration rules, and if it will affect only newly arrived individuals or also current residents. This measure would also mean that affected individuals could remain under a temporary visa route for twice the current period before being eligible for settlement. Given that, as highlighted by the Royal Society 2024 visa costs report3³, the cost of upfront UK visa fees for researchers is up to 17 times higher than in the rest of comparable leading research nations, extending the duration of this status could significantly increase the financial burden on international researchers and skilled professionals. Such a change risks undermining the UK’s capacity to attract and retain global scientific talent. 

Although there is a consultation process to be had with citizens on how these transformations should take place, which was promised by the government after the release of the 2025 Immigration White Paper4⁴, no timeline has been shared in regard to how this process will be prepared or any further information on its expectations or consequences..

As the community of EU researchers in the UK we are concerned about this lack of clarity and details, as it creates uncertainty for migrants, including our community, where many might be affected by these changes. We are an active and dedicated community of professionals, contributing especially to the higher education, science and innovation industry in this country. We are also representing the EU research diaspora groups in the UK, civil society organisations which are deeply involved in building bridges between EU and UK institutions and actors through meaningful scientific and diplomatic collaborations. These efforts are valued, as seen in the UK’s rejoining of Horizon Europe in 2024 and the renewed EU-UK agenda established at the 2025 EU-UK Summit. 

For these reasons, we are open to dialogue and we are eager to participate in the consultation process of these changes to ILR or any other proposals of change to immigration rules, as we want to advocate for our community and the relevance that they have for many UK institutions, especially higher education and research institutions. We aim to maintain our active engagement and ongoing contributions to the social and institutional life of this society.

Authors: 

The CONNECTS-UK Team

1. McKinney, C., & Gower, M. (2025, October 16). Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper. House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10267/ ↩︎
2. Home Office. New contribution-based settlement model to reduce net migration. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-contribution-based-settlement-model-to-reduce-net-migration ↩︎
3. Royal Society. (2024). Summary of visa costs analysis (2024). Royalsociety.org. https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/publications/2024/summary-visa-costs-analysis-2024/ ↩︎
4. McKinney, C., & Gower, M. (2025, October 16). Changes to UK visa and settlement rules after the 2025 immigration white paper. House of Commons Library. ↩︎